Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

If I do not have H2 or H1 Physics, can I apply for admission into Engineering?

Yes, you are eligible to apply for admission into the Engineering courses provided you have 'O' Level or equivalent in Physics. Please see here for the admission requirement for the various Engineering courses. Students without H2 or H1 Physics will be required to take specified Physics bridging modules.

If I do not have H2 or H1 Physics, would I face any difficulty in coping with the Engineering curriculum?

Students without H2 or H1 Physics will be required to take specified Physics bridging modules. The bridging modules should bring you up to the level comparable to those students with Physics.

If I only have H2 Biology but not H2 Physics or H2 Chemistry, can I apply for admission into Engineering?

No, as you did not meet the admission requirement.

I have not completed my Polytechnic studies. Can I apply for admission now?

Yes, students in their final year of study at a Polytechnic can apply for admission with the results obtained from their first 5 semesters of study. The final semester result should be submitted to the NUS Office of Admissions as soon as they are available. Please refer to http://www.nus.edu.sg/oam/apply/local/poly/ for more information.

As a Polytechnic graduate, what are my chances of being admitted into the NUS Faculty of Engineering?

We strongly encourage all Polytechnic graduates to apply for admission. We have been increasing our intake of Polytechnic graduates over the years and this trend is expected to continue.

Are Polytechnic graduates admitted directly into the second year?

Our curriculum is based on a modular credit system which provides flexibility by allowing students of different interests and abilities to study at a pace that suits them. Polytechnic graduates can receive modular credit exemptions amounting to about one year of study and complete their studies in three years or sooner depending on careful academic planning. For more information on module exemptions, please see http://www.eng.nus.edu.sg/ugrad/welcome/polyexemption.html.

Will Polytechnic graduates “lose out” to students from the junior college in the NUS Faculty of Engineering?

Polytechnic education and education in our local junior colleges have their respective merits, and both routes are suitable for a university-level engineering education. Many Polytechnic graduates have excelled in NUS. For Polytechnic graduates who may be relatively less confident in mathematics, special preparatory classes will be arranged before the start of the semester. More details about these classes will be provided before the academic semester begins.

Is the course work at NUS theoretical and not “practice-oriented”?

Engineering is the application of science to solve real world problems and is practice-oriented. Our curriculum is design-centric including compulsory design projects with participation and inputs from the industry. While we groom our students to become professional engineers, we also place emphasis on understanding fundamentals to prepare them for the changing technologies and innovations in the 21st century.

Can colour blind students apply for any of the Engineering courses?

Generally, we do not discourage colour blind students from applying for any of our Engineering courses, and also currently there are no rules forbidding the admission of colour blind students. In general, colour blindness would not hinder a student's progress in our engineering courses. However, students with colour blindness could face some difficulties in some programmes as outlined below:

Electrical Engineering (EE) and Computer Engineering (CPE) students with colour blindness may experience some minor difficulties, such as an inability to read colour code on resistors to major handicaps such as an inability to distinguish different circuit tracks for drawings of multi-layer circuit layouts. However, EE/CPE encompasses a diversity of disciplines and students with this handicap should not be too disadvantaged as they should be able to select one where they are still able to contribute effectively.

Material Science & Engineering (MSE) students with colour blindness may be disadvantaged as they could be required to identify microstructures using different color etching. However, this would not stop such MSE students from having a successful career in all areas of MSE.

Chemical Engineering (ChE) students with colour blindness may be disadvantaged in the future because some field jobs require the ability to differentiate between color-coded pipelines, sign-posts and equipment. Some duties such as process design may require the use of colors and may present severe obstacles to an employee with color-blindness.

Civil Engineering (CE) students with colour blindness may be restricted by the nature of jobs available to them as a number of CE jobs will require engineers to read computer-generated drawings which may come with different coloured lines.

I am currently an NSman and had already accepted a place with the Faculty of Engineering earlier. Would I be affected by the recent fee increase?

No, NSmen who were offered and had accepted admission earlier but who plan to matriculate with the AY2008/09 cohort and beyond will be charged the tuition fees prevailing at the time they accepted their offer of admission for the entire candidature.

I would like to find out more about the different Engineering Programs. Who do I contact?